The loophole that makes ageing F1 'rookies' so important

A gap in F1 testing rules allows teams to field drivers with years of experience in their 'rookie' line-ups. That may raise questions about whether it's a fair practice, but doing so is of greater benefit to teams than simply having a known quantity in the car

Fielding a 32-year-old who has been driving Formula 1 cars for a decade may seem like an unfair interpretation of the rule demanding teams give track time to "rookies" during testing.

However, McLaren's decision to give Oliver Turvey half a day of running in the post-Spanish Grand Prix test is rooted in important logic that extends beyond simply satisfying their requirement to use a driver who has not started more than two grands prix for half of its testing programme.